Blog > Moving Up in San Jose: From a Condo or Townhome to a House, by the Numbers (2026)
Moving Up in San Jose: From a Condo or Townhome to a House, by the Numbers (2026)
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What does it take to move up from a San Jose condo or townhome to a house? The median condo or townhome sold for $776K in the last 12 months, the least expensive quarter of houses for $1.3M or less, and the median house for $1.65M. With 20% down at 7.24%, the monthly cost goes from about $5,010 to $8,400 for an entry-level house and $10,670 for the median. Here’s the math, what the entry-level houses look like, and what condo owners have gained in price. We’re the Property Nerds, so the numbers come from real sales.
The short answer
- The price gap: $524K from the median condo or townhome to an entry-level house, $874K to the median house.
- The monthly gap (20% down, 7.24%, tax included): about $3,390 more for an entry-level house, $5,660 more for the median. A house often has no HOA dues, which offsets part of it.
- The entry-level house: a median 1,250 sq ft with 3 bedrooms on a 5,600 sq ft lot (895 sales at $1.3M or less).
- Your condo’s value: the median San Jose condo or townhome sold for $710K in 2020 and $776K in the last 12 months.
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Buying or selling in San Jose?
- What’s my home worth? Ask for the recent sales on your street.
- Selling a home in San Jose: pricing, prep and what’s selling now.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about your plans.
The three steps, side by side
The last 12 months (October 28, 2025 to October 27, 2026). The entry-level row prices the 25th percentile, the price a quarter of houses sold at or below; its size and lot are the medians of those houses. Monthly cost: 20% down, a 30-year fixed loan at 7.24% (Freddie Mac’s average, week of October 29, 2026), and property tax at San Jose’s typical 1.2197% rate after the homeowners’ exemption.
| Home | Median price | Living area | Beds | Lot | 20% down | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median condo or townhome | $776K | 1,230 sq ft | 2 | — | $155,000 | $5,010 |
| Entry-level house (25th percentile) | $1.3M | 1,250 sq ft | 3 | 5,600 sq ft | $260,000 | $8,400 |
| Median house | $1.65M | 1,690 sq ft | 4 | 6,220 sq ft | $330,000 | $10,670 |
What a condo owner has to work with
The median San Jose condo or townhome sold for $575K in 2016 (2,313 sales), $710K in 2020 (2,008 sales) and $776K in the last 12 months. At those medians, a 2016 buyer’s condo is worth about $201K more than it cost, and a 2020 buyer’s about $66K more, before selling costs. Your equity is your sale price, less your loan balance and selling costs. Set it against 20% down on an entry-level house, $260,000, plus closing costs. Many move-up buyers add savings or company stock; see using RSUs and company stock for a down payment.
Sell first or buy first?
- Sell first: you know your cash and can write a clean offer, but you may need a rent-back or a short-term rental.
- Buy first: you move once, but you carry two homes for a while or need a bridge loan, and sellers may weigh a contingent offer lower.
- Property tax: the house is assessed at its purchase price, so plan for the supplemental bill (how it works).
- Capital gains: the home-sale exclusion ($250,000, or $500,000 for most married couples) can cover much or all of the gain on a condo you’ve lived in (details); ask your tax advisor.
San Jose against four other Santa Clara County cities
The last 12 months (October 28, 2025 to October 27, 2026). Gilroy had only 28 condo and townhome sales in the last 12 months, under the 30 a year we use for a city-wide condo figure, so it isn’t in this table.
| City | Median condo or townhome | Entry-level house | Median house | Gap to entry-level house |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | $776K | $1.3M | $1.65M | $524K |
| Mountain View | $1.43M | $2.4M | $2.95M | $970K |
| Campbell | $1.05M | $1.87M | $2.17M | $820K |
| Milpitas | $1.11M | $1.38M | $1.62M | $266K |
| Morgan Hill | $882K | $1.21M | $1.52M | $329K |
How competitive the entry-level houses are
In the last 12 months, houses at $1.3M or less in San Jose typically closed 0.1% over asking, with 53% selling over asking, against 1.6% over asking and 61% for all San Jose houses. The entry point has been less contested than the market as a whole.
Questions we get
How much more is a house than a condo in San Jose?
The median house sold for $1.65M and the median condo or townhome for $776K in the last 12 months, a gap of $874K. The least expensive quarter of houses sold for $1.3M or less.
What does an entry-level house look like in San Jose?
Among houses that sold for $1.3M or less, the median had 1,250 square feet and 3 bedrooms on a 5,600 square-foot lot.
How much more a month is a house?
About $3,390 more for an entry-level San Jose house than the median condo or townhome, with 20% down at 7.24%, tax included, before HOA dues and insurance.
How we counted
Medians of closed sales reported to the MLS and read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, one record per sale with a usable living area and map position, the same rules as our city price posts. Houses are MLS property type “single family home”; condos include townhomes. The window is the last 12 months (October 28, 2025 to October 27, 2026); condo prices by year use calendar 2016 and 2020. Payments use Freddie Mac’s 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026); jumbo rates can differ. Tax uses San Jose’s typical 2025–26 rate from the county’s rate book. Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home, and nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice.
Go deeper
what it costs to own in San Jose, what your budget buys in San Jose, Mortgage Lab and San Jose condo and townhome prices.
More San Jose numbers from the Property Nerds
Talk to a Property Nerd
We’re the Property Nerds at Compass, recognized as NextGenAgents by a national real estate portal. We’ll pull the sales that matter for your home and your plans, and walk you through what they mean. Call (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or book a strategy call. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.